1. Field of the Disclosure
The Present Disclosure relates, generally, to a board-to-board connector, and, more particularly, to a board-to-board connector having such a configuration that a sloped guide surface configured to be inclined with respect to a longitudinal direction of a first housing of a first connector is formed in an entrance end of a concaved protrusive end portion of each of first fitting guide portions formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the first housing so that second fitting guide portions formed at both ends in a longitudinal direction of a second housing of a second connector are inserted in the first fitting guide portions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Board-to-board connectors are typically used to couple pairs of parallel circuit boards with each other. Such connectors are attached, by fitting, to respective opposing surfaces of the circuit boards so that the boards are electrically connected to each other. An example of such a board-to-board connector may be illustrated in Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-084795.
Additionally, FIG. 10 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a conventional board-to-board connector. In FIG. 10, first connector 801 is attached to a first circuit board 891 and tightly fitted to be engaged with a second connector attached to a non-illustrated second circuit board. First connector 801 is provided with first housing 811 formed of an insulating material and plurality of first terminals 861 mounted in first housing 811. Moreover, respective tail portions 862 of first terminals 861 are connected to non-illustrated connection pads of first circuit board 891.
First fitting guide portions 821 are formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the first housing 811, and second fitting guide portions of a second housing of a second connector are inserted in the first fitting guide portions 821. For this, sloped surfaces 823 are formed in the first fitting guide portions 821 so that the second fitting guide portions can be smoothly guided thereto. Owing to this configuration, when the first connector 801 is fitted to be engaged with the second connector, it is possible to insert the second fitting guide portions of the second connector to be received in the first fitting guide portions 821 of the first connector 801 in an easy manner, and thus, the workability in achieving the fitting of the connectors is improved.
However, in the conventional board-to-board connector, it is difficult to perform the fitting operation in a fumbling manner, and the fitting operation takes a long period of time. Specifically, when the first connector 801 attached to the first circuit board 891 and the second connector attached to the second circuit board are tightly fitted to be engaged with each other, depending on the working conditions, an operator is requested to perform the fumbling operation for fitting in a state of being unable to visually recognize a fitting face of the first housing 811 and a fitting face of the second housing. In such a case, the operator may have to fumble around to adjust the position and attitude of the second housing relative to the first housing 811 while the fitting face of the second housing is made to slide on the fitting face of the first housing 811, so that the second housing is inserted in the first housing 811.
However, only the slope surfaces 823 facing upward are formed on the first fitting guide portions 821. Therefore, when the relative position between the first connector 801 and the second connector is misaligned with each other in the longitudinal direction, even when the fitting face of the first housing 811 is made to slide on the fitting face of the second housing, it may be difficult to insert the second fitting guide portions of the second housing to be received in the first fitting guide portions 821 of the first connector 801. As a result, the fitting operation cannot be performed in an easy manner, and the fitting operation takes a lot of time.